Motorcycle Insurance Claim Process

No matter how comfortable you might feel with understanding your motorcycle insurance policy there is nothing more nerve racking than being involved in an accident and needing to file an insurance claim on your motorcycle policy. If you are ever involved in an accident and need to file a motorcycle insurance claim on your policy I recommend that you take these following steps at the scene of the accident.

Get the other driver’s name, address, phone number, insurance carrier, insurance policy number & insurance carrier phone number. Also get the name’s and phone numbers of any witnesses as well.

Make a rough drawing of the accident scene, showing the position of the motorcycle or cars involved and any other pertinent details. If you have a digital camera take pictures of the damage or if your cell phone has a camera use it to take photos of the scene.

Contact our office, 503-296-0077, as soon as possible so we can assist you with filing your motorcycle insurance claim. When you contact us remain calm and consistent with your version of how the accident occurred and provide us with the information that you gathered from the other drivers.

It is advisable that before you sign an agreement accepting the insurance company’s estimate to complete repairs on your motorcycle you make certain that the agreement is fair.

If the cost to repair your motorcycle exceeds its actual cash value, the bike will probably be considered a “total loss.” Insurance companies will determine the value of a motorcycle by looking for nearly identical cars being sold through local dealers and private owners in the area. They will then adjust the numbers based on information about your motorcycle, such as its condition before the accident and any special equipment on the bike. Insurer’s frequently come up with a value that is 10-20% less than retail values listed by Kelley or NADA.